CBSE Class 9 Answered

The treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties that ended the World War I between Germany and the Allied powers. It was signed on June 28, 1919. This treaty held Germany responsible for the First World War.

The terms of this treaty were:

a) Germany and her allies were held guilty of aggression and damages. Germany was forced to pay for the losses and damages suffered by the Allied powers during the war. They had to pay the compensation amounting to £6 billion. This had a devastating effect on the German economy.

b) Germany lost its overseas colonies,13 % of its territories, 75% of its iron and 26% of its coal to France, Poland, Denmark and Lithuania.

c) The Allied powers occupied the resource-rich Rhineland for much of the 1920s and that area was to be demilitarised. To weaken the power, the Allied Powers demilitarised Germany. They were not allowed to have Air-force and submarines and had to limit their army strength to 100,000.

Thus Germany was completely humiliated, her colonies were seized and she was demilitarized. This treaty is considered as one of the many causes which paved the way to the Second World War.